Tolbebt lanston



(No Model.)

T.LANSTON.

SEWING MACHINE.

Patented Sept. 13, 1881.

ATTORNEYS- WiTNESSES N. PETERS. VhnkrLlllmgrzp'wr, wa-nin nm 11c.

UNITED STAT S P TENT OF ICE. I

TOLBERT LANSTON, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR OFONE-HALF TO ALBERT F. KINGSLEY, OF SAME PLACE.

SEWING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 247,074, dated September13, 1881. Application filed May 4, 1881. (No model.)

' a To all whom it may concern reference marked thereon.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a representation of the face-plate of thehead having the operatingv parts, looking from the rear. rearview oftheback plate, showing the handle. Fig. 3 is a vertical section takenacross the head. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective.

' This invention relates to improvements in sewing-machines, the objectof which is the production of a device whereby the presserfoot andneedle-bar, or the former alone, may

be lifted from the work with a single movement and the machine startedwhen desired.

To these endsthe invention consists in a gear of peculiar constructionplaced in the machine-head, all as hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, the letter it represents the outer or faceplate of the head, having the rabbets for the needle-bar b and holes ata for the resser-foot bar 0, the for-- mer having secured to it theusual cam V- grooved plate, 0, and needle 0 and the latter theencircling spring b and presser-foot b Keyed to the bar 0 by its eye e,forming a bearing for the lower end of spring I), is a bracket-arm, d,(shown in dotted lines, Fig. 1,) the right angled arm cl of whichextends across the head, inside of the needle-bar I), nearly to theother side of the head-recess.

J ournaled by its spindle f in the rear plate, a, a short distance belowthe arm at, is a gearwheel, 9, having a plane of rotation between saidarm and plate, a periphery extending beyond the arm, and an operatingcrank-handle, 9, outside ofthe plate on the spindle f. In Fig. 1 thiswheel is shown in the position it would occupy in the machine, thehandle 9 beingin dotted lines, showing its relative position.

The wheel 9 has two thicknessesthe thin portion, 0', and a'thicker one,h, forming a shoulder, h, the thicker portion only needing to besufficiently wide to give a good bearing of the wheel on its spindle,the portion 0 extending beyond the portion It all around. This wheel ghas formed at its periphery, ata right rant next the handle, is a curvedrecess, Z,

formed in the periphery of the wheel, and extending from a point, m,ofthe thicker portion h, and made entirely in the thin portion '6.

The remainder of the periphery of the Wheel is provided with teeth,forming the two convex curved racks n and 1), formed in the thinportion, one rack on the side of the other, opposite to thecrank-handle. Secured to this wheel in the quadrant formed between thehandle 9 and lug k, and projecting from the inner face of said wheel, isa pin, 1", which comes in under the arm 01.

Secured to the operating-shaft t, just above and in the plane of thethin port-ion of the wheel 9, is another wheel, 22, having teeth o uponits periphery, except a portion at which is formed a recess, 12corresponding in shape to the log it. The centers ot'these wheelsare atsuch distance apart that when the said recess and lug are in suchposition that their middle radii are aligned the two wheels willbemutuallylocked. This locking of the wheels is efi'ected as follows:The handle 9, which is of spring metal,is provided with a lug adapted tothe notches z z 2 011 the outside of the rear plate shown in Fig. 2.When the handle 9 is in the position shown in Fig. 1 the lug thereon issprung into the notch z, and as said handle is rigidly secured to thespindle f, to which thewheel g is also fixed, said wheel is thus held atrest, and with it the intermeshing wheel '0. Fa'stened to the wheel 12upon the same face as that of the larger wheel, on which is the shoulderh, is a lug, or, having a slant, m, which lug projects over the corner02 of recess '0 Secured on the shaft t to the outside of wheel 0 is thedisk 3 carrying the crank-pin 2 for moving in groove 0 of plate 0',whereby the needle-bar is operated. The position of this pin 2 withrelation to the wheel 1: is such that said pin will operate to hold theneedle-bar up or at the end of the upward stroke when the geared wheelsare interlocked, as stated before, and shown in Fig. 1.

The line 0: g represents the top of the table or platform for holdingthe work. When the machine is stopped the presser-foot is down on thework and the needle at the bottom, top, or midway of its stroke. Withthe mechanism described they both can be raised clear of the work. I

From the drawings and description of parts it will be seen that theirrelation is such that when the presser-foot and needle both are down thecurved lug would hang vertically, the handle 9 have the positionopposite to that of the handle in Fig. 1, and, by consequence, the teethof rack a ready to engage those of the wheel '0, said handle being heldin notch 2.

To lift both needle and presser-foot, the handle g is turned to theright, down, and up to the position shown in dotted line, Fig. 1. Thepin 1", catching under arm (1 close to the presserfoot bar, raisesthclatter. At the same time the rack a, turning the wheel o and shaftit, raises the needle-bar until the lug it rests in recess 11*, when thelug on the handle 9 is sprung in notch zon the outside of the rearplate, and the parts are looked, as before described.

If the needle should be in the midst of a stroke, the rack n willturnthe wheel o and shaft t for the remainder of the stroke, and then theparts will lock. As the wheel g gives this partial movement to the wheel12 the latter is turned until the recess '0 has the position shown inFig. 1. The wheel g is turned still farther until the projection 70comes into the recess, as before described. As the partial movement isgiven the wheel 12 the throw of wheel 9 and its engagement with thewheel 12 would tend, by imparted motion, to drive the said wheel 17 sofar that the teeth of this wheel would come into engagement with therack 12 after the recess o had been passed by this rack. The lug :0prevents this, for, bybearing on the shoulder h back of the rack n, itkeeps the wheel c from being thrown too far. If the needle be at the topof the stroke, the recess n will be at the downward point, as shown inFig. 1, when, of course, the rack would not, andis not intended to,affect its position. It will be seen that when the recess v has thisposition, as shown in said Fig. 1, the lug 00 projects downwardly. Asthe'wheel 9 turns, the lug 00 comes in contact with the thicker portionh above rack and keeps the wheel '21 from'tnrning. This contacting ofthe slant arm at, thus lifting the presser-foot bar.

00 of lug m with the wheel 9 occurs when the needle-bar is up, orpartially so, and the teeth of wheel 9 would have a tendency to throwwheel Q7 past the locked position, which contacting prevents this. Whenthe needle is up, on stopping the machine the resser-foot alone is to beraised, and this is done by turning the handle up from the notch z tothe notch 2, which causes pin 7" to catch under the end of The recess 1,being now upward, allows of motion of wheel 9 without engaging withwheel a; as the above movement is made, whereby the presserfoot islifted without affecting the needle-bar at all. When the parts areraised and it is desired to start the machine, the handle g is turned upto the right all around to its position in notch 2, which causes rack 19to engage the teeth of wheel a, and by turning shaft t to start themachine. To insure the engagement of rack 12 with wheel 0:, the uppertooth of said rack is made thicker, as shown at 1), whereby it willstrike lug m, and by partially rotating the shaft t insure the saidengagement.

If desired, the starting device may be omitted and the mechanism be usedonly as a lifter, in which case the thin portion 6 will be out off atthe dotted line t v leaving off rackp, which will be done for machineswith short heads.

I claim- 1. The combination, with the needle and presser-foot bars of asewing-machine, of devices, snbstantially asvdescribed, adapted toconjointly or independently engage said bars, and a convenient handlefor operating said devices, whereby the said bars may be raised, as

set forth.

2. The combination, with the driving-shaft having a gear-wheel securedthereto, of the needle and presser-foot bars and devices, substantiallyas described, adapted to engage said wheel and bars, whereby saiddriving-shaft may be turned and both bars simultaneously lifted, as setforth.

3. Wheel g, having rack 02, lug k, and pin 1", in combination with wheel1;, having recess 0 and lug w, bracket (1, and the needle and.presser-footbars, the whole forming a device for lifting and holding upthe needle and presser-foot, as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my namein the presence of two Witnesses.

TOLBERT LANSTON.

' Witnesses:

PHILIP O. MAsr, W. H. SINGLETON.

